By Gretchen Wehmhoff

The Skagway Assembly, at their Sept. 5 meeting, approved increasing the fee for creating bear attractants from $100 to $300 per citation. 

The Skagway Police Department has responded to numerous calls regarding bear activity since early July. While other bears have been reported in the area, the primary focus has been on  a brown bear sow and her two older cubs.

The bears took a break for a short spell, but in the end of August they returned to Skagway, disturbing trash, dumpsters and vehicles through Liarsville, along the Klondike Highway and eventually along Dyea road, where, on Aug. 28, an SPD officer shot the sow and one cub as they continued to show aggression.

“We didn’t want to do what we had to do any more than anybody wanted us to shoot. But it was getting dangerous, and I’m hopeful that nothing bad happens with the outstanding cub and its interaction with the public,” Police Chief JJ Reddick said.

“In the event that the second cub is not found, it is old enough to survive on its own. They are second year cubs. According to everybody that I’ve talked to, the biologist, the wildlife tripper,  since they were second year cubs, they were probably on the verge of being pushed off by the mom anyway,” Reddick said.

A black bear has also been seen in the area  

“We’ve not had any dealings with the black bear, but we are seeing the other cub that is still outstanding. The guys have been chasing it through the alley ways, and it’s getting in the trash.”

Assemblymember Deb Potter is hopeful for the future.

“The good thing about these bears being dispatched is that we have the opportunity to start anew, and the next bears that will show up, it’s on us. So. The problem is us. We are the problem. So whatever we can do to hit home the seriousness of taking care of your garbage for the next generation of bears that are going to roll through town, we owe a responsibility to the wildlife in this town,” she said.

Reddick says SPD has been issuing citations for trash problems such as overflowing trash cans and dumpsters as well as overturned dumpsters that have not been secured.

Mayor Sam Bass wants to explore allowing residents to have additional free drop offs during bear season to cut down on trash waiting for removal.

“ I would like to see what the financial and staff impact would be if the city made available to our residential trash customers one or two free trash drop offs equivalent to a 30 gallon can each month during bear season for no additional charge,” he said.